1

miss gripLeonor Keller

scenario

Big Paintball Maneuvers

Greg Hastingsinterview

Vanquishreview

millenniumBITBURG

N.º 06 June 2013

02

index

index

06–07The team

9Editorial

10–11HighlightOrder among chaos

13News

14–15ProfileGeoffrey Bouillon

16–35MillenniumBitburg

38–41Rules Domingos Leitão

42–44Project KAxel Gaudin

46–52InterviewJustin Schwarz

54–67GalleryPoison Ivy

68–78ECSGuimarães

14-15Profile

16-35Millennium

68-78 ECS

46-52InterviewJustin Schwarz

03index

80-89Miss GRIPLeonor Keller

90-104InterviewGreg Hastings

106-113Scenario - Big Paintball Manenvers

114-115Scenario - InterviewNick Sobolev

116-118ReviewVanquish

120-122ReviewHardline Pads

124-126ReviewVirtue Clock

128-131ReviewEgo LV1

132-135Backstage

136 Thanks

106-113Big Paintball Manenvers

120-122Review - Hardline Pads

116-118Review - Vanquish

66-79Interview

Greg Hastings

80-89Miss GRIP

Leonor Keller

04

05DYE EUROPE-UK Dye House, 7-8 Commerce Way, Croydon, Surrey CRO 4XA United Kingdom, P +44 (0) 20-8649-6330 F +44 (0) 20-8649-6339

DYE GERMANY Albert Einstein Str. 2 B 77656 Offenburg, Germany, P +49 (0)781 639 349 91 F +49 (0)781 120 302 99DYE Precision, Inc. USA 10637 Scripps Summit Ct. San Diego, CA 9213, P 858-536-5183 F 858-536-5191

DYE ASIA No. 253, Guojhong Rd., Dali City, Taichung County 412, Taiwan (R.O.C.), P +886 (0) 4-2407-9135 F +886 (0) 4-2407-2090Copyright ©2013 DYE Precision, Inc. The stylized “dye” logo, the “sphere” logo, and the “rotor logo” are either registered trademarks, trademarks, or design trademarks of

DYE Precision, Inc. For a complete list of patents please visit www.dyeprecision.com/patents

FOR MORE TECHNICAL INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER OR VISITWWW.DYEPAINTBALL.COM

ROTOR LOADER available iN new coloUrs and patterns.

cUBIX atlas dYetree

DYE ROTOR™

THE CHOICE OF CHAMPIONS™

tHe perFect coMBInatIon oF stYle and perForMance

06 team

HANDY TIMSWho better to help out than one of the RSH designers? Any subject related to image, he’s your man!

AXEL GAUDINDoesn´t need introductions. Who better to teach you tactics than one of the Project K Masters?

PEDRO SIMÕES GRIP Magazine’s pho-tography editor. He’s also an accredited photojournalist.

RITA PEREIRA GRIP Magazine’s Art Director. She works as a professional graphic designer.

DANIEL TEIXEIRAGRIP Magazine’s kid. He’s responsible for all of the news from the “world of paint”.

ANDRÉ FARIAThe scenario man. If we’re talking about camouflage, gun replicas and lots of fun, then that’s where he is.

RITA RISCADOOur «Irishwoman» translates and puts up with us and all our doubts. Without her, you simply wouldn’t understand us!

DOMINGOS LEITÃOHead Marshal at the Millennium and Portuguese League. He explains you the basic rules.

07team

DUARTE GOMESThe mechanic in charge. Very few understand paintball markers and accesso-ries as well as he does.

HANDY TIMSWho better to help out than one of the RSH designers? Any subject related to image, he’s your man!

ANDRÉ GOMESOne of the “kids” of the team. Dominates the English language. and helps us translate a few thousand words per issue.

SUSANA NOVAISTranslates texts at a fascinating speed. We haven’t given out the text yet and it’s already returned.

GIL BELFORDWith such a name he could only be a translator… or the owner of a waffle shop.

RITA RISCADOOur «Irishwoman» translates and puts up with us and all our doubts. Without her, you simply wouldn’t understand us!

HAILEY ADRIENNEThe pretty face of paintball shows us the feminine side of our sport.

ZANE KJ MAÑASCOIf he is not shooting, he is pulling some serious magic on the computer. the Design madmen and genius together in a unique guy!

08

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GRIP – Paintball Magazine or André Filipe Sobreira Garrido are not responsible for the content of the ads nor for the accuracy of the characteristics and features of the products and/or goods advertised. Their veracity and accordance with reality are fully and exclusively the responsibility of the advertisers and advertising agencies or companies.

IT IS STRICLY FORBIDEN TO COPY TEXTS AND IMAGES BY ALL MEANS

Property of André Filipe Sobreira Garrido NIF: 227215290

Legal address: Rua General Taborda Nº3 - 1º 1070-137 Lisboa

ERC Registration Nº 126231 Frequency: Quarterly

DIRECTOR EDITOR

MARKETING ADVERTISEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY

André Garrido (mail@grippaintball.com)André Garrido (mail@grippaintball.com)Carla Peixoto (carla.peixoto@grippaintball.com)GRIP - Photo ServicesAxel Gaudin by Jani Andersson

09

editorial

This year has been crazy!The calendar of events is a real nightmare when we try to plan the magazine’s release days, in order to cover the best places and be with the best athletes, giving you the excellence of our sport.

However such difficulties only give us more motivation to find ways of overcoming the obstacles. It’s like the player who’s shoved in the snake against three opponents and he will still press the buzzer; or like when we see a large group of opponents in a Big Game and we flank them alone. Quitting is not an option!

This edition is a real luxury: suffice to say we interviewed Greg Hastings, the biggest worldwide ambassador of paintball. We still went through Bitburg, to cover Millennium’s second stage, and hopped to Guimarães, the 2013 European City of Sport, to see the Portuguese paintball alongside with others sports.

We also interviewed Justin Schwarz, Vision’s newest member, who has been struggling to overcome the linguistic barriers

In scenario section, we went Russia, to watch what is probably the most intense game in Europe. Tanks and explosions are only the beginning of an unprecedented war.

As usual we present you with the best reviews. We don’t usually analyse just current equipment, as was the case in this issue, in which we reviewed the Virtue Clock. We also tested the HK’s new protection line and two top markers: Vanquish and EGO LV-1.

Here’s another number full of paint!

Por André GarridoDirector GRIP

editorial

10

Order among chaos

10 highlight

1111highlight

12 news

JT presented the JT First Shot Paintball Challenge, a paintball tournament that has the aim to introduce new players to

the sport, using mechanical guns and JT SplatMasters.It was held on the last 22nd of June in the PSP Chicago Open.

JT First Shot

Empire released a new Clamping Feed Neck for their guns: Axe and Mini. This new feed neck offers more strength and durability. This item is available in black.

Clamping Feed Neck

DYE released four new colors for their rotors. Gray Black, Dark Earth Black, Olive Black and Tree Purple are the names of the new color range the company offers.

Rotor – New Colors

Spire Virtue 260

The new version of Spire Virtue was already shown and, as great novelty, this loader has the capacity for 260 paintballs. This new model is available in five colors: Spring Ramp, Spire 260 Black, Spire 260 Red, Spire 260 Violet, Spire 260 Green and Spire 260 Blue. The Ramp version is special, because as its own name suggests, it has a ramp inserted in the front of the loader that makes the paintballs fall directly into the motor.

13notícias

Autococker returns Conspiration of Style

The new Empire gun, known as Resurrection has already arrived to the market. The Resurrection is nothing less than the remake of the legendary Autococker, with a new style and the most recent technology. As Empire says: «We took the best designs out of the WGP vault, and we’ve created a super smooth and accurate ‘Cocker that paintball players of all generations will enjoy.»

If there is something that has prospered in paintball it is the accessories and clothes stores, especially if they have style.The most recent style store is Conspiration that bets on an angry monkey as their brand image.Do pop in the shop to have a look: Conspiration

The last event of Millennium Series 2013 is confirmed. After many opinions and attempts to predict the place where this event would be held, the organization confirmed that Paris will still be the city chosen to receive Millennium Series. However, unlike in other years, it will not be done at Disneyland, but in Chantilly.

Millennium Series - Chantilly

© Jacques70 | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

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14

GGeoffrey Bouillon is the captain of Breakout Spa, a team that has managed to gradually make their presence in most of the European

league. One of the milestones of this team and one of Gef’s proudest, as he is known among his friends, was to have won the event in Paris, in the SPL at Millennium.

He has been playing for eight years, but has only passed by two teams. The first

were the Hotshots and the second one is the one where he is the captain nowadays.

Inside the field and outside of it, he is one of the calmest players that we can ever meet. However, this does not translate into his professional life. As a Precision Engineer Precision, Gef has no time for anything else.

At 33 years old, he is waiting for more victories like the one in Paris.

profile

Geoffrey Bouillon

15profile

NICKNAME Gef

DATE OF BIRTH04/03/1980

PROFESSIONManager of a Precision Engineer Company

STARTED PLAYING IN2005

PLAYING FORHotshots and Breakout SpaMillennium Series and DPL

INTERNATIONAL EVENTSDPL with Breakout Spa

EVENTS THAT HE’S WON AND WITH WHITCH TEAMSDPL with Breakout Spa1st Place Malaga and Paris in SPL with Breakout Spa

BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTWinning Millennium SPL Paris with Breakout Spa

Text: André Garrido

1616 millennium

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Rain, sun, mud, lots of women and the most brutal final in recent years. This was Bitburg!

Text: André Garrido

BITBURG

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Bitburg is no longer a revelation to anyone. It’s the fifth consecutive year that Millennium organizes an event in this German city. Even before the mythical Nürburgring event, inside the famous racing track, Bitburg was already a reference in this circuit.

Although it is not new, everyone seems to love this site. There is a mystique around Bitburg that is difficult to understand. Maybe it’s the fact that it has fantastic green plains, the perfect floor for a paintball game, or because, for better or worst, all players gather in the same hotel, in the same restaurant, in the same bar, thus making the event seem more like a paintball festival than an European paintball event. Or maybe it’s the strip bar, who knows?!

This time the event was held between the 24 and the 26 of May, a weekend with forecasts of heavy rain, causing many to fear another «Paris», where it rained heavily throughout the weekend. What’s certain is that day after day, amongst some stubborn rainy clouds, the sun popped up, with Saturday having been an excellent day for paintball. Sunday, on the contrary, was a less happy day, but bearable for everyone present.

This mixture of weather meant that there was a lot of mud throughout the venue, but mainly within the field. It was commom to see players “painted” in mud from head to toe.

The crowd was alight, even in moments

millennium

of intense rain; they wouldn’t abandon the stands, or the first rows near the railings, especially when nations played against each other, this time through the Ladies Cup.

The warning sign regarding the possible collapse in the stands’ entries

remains, something that makes us very «itchy». An event worth thousands of euros is organized, with more than a hundred teams present, with

thousands of people and the venue where fans, spectators

and players can appreciate the best teams in the world is compromised?

The solution is placing a warning sign, thus trying to hold those who pay to be present at that location responsible? Are we waiting

It’s interesting to see women hitting men

as big people.

19

new obstacle, M’s second legs, the game gained another dimension. Several shooting lines were eliminated, making space for the snake to be used. Hopefully this will continue, as the game’s dynamic was once again restored.

In this event, it was possible to see the return of the Americans invited by some of the teams, whom hadn’t been present in the first event due to the overlapping dates with the NPPL circuit. These guests are really important in certain teams, for example, Oliver Lang’s presence in the Greek team Dogs D’Amour, which was last on the previous event and in Bitburg achieved an astonishing third place. The most interesting is noting that these players help out not just in the game itself, but

millennium

for something extremely bad to happen?Regarding the layout we were positively

surprised. We’d already been in other venues with the same layout and the result was a boring game with no major movements. In Germany, that’s not what happened, there were very fast and very aggressive games. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen such multifaceted field, where one could attack through the doritos or the snake and even the center was often used to support the attacks. It was undoubtedly one of the most interesting designs we’ve seen in recent times. It’s commendable the return of the game through the snake, which had been virtually abandoned last year due to the size of the «new» snakes. Much due to this year’s

20

much more tactically and mentally.Division 3 had a considerable increase in

teams regarding the French event. This beginners’ league, created for less experienced teams to come and see what the biggest European circuit is about, had over 22 teams, making a total of 46 teams competing for the top spots.

The preliminaries were contested by eight groups of six teams with series of three games. This phase is the most righteous of all tournament, in which the two teams of each group with the best winning streak pass to

the next stage. It is also at this stage that one begins to easily differentiate those teams that are potential winners.

Moving on to the final stages, often the luck, or lack thereof,

and some less correct decisions by a referee lead a potential winner easily to be relegated to a place in the middle of the table.

However, in the second event, it was possible to distinguish those

who were prepared to fight for the title. The Belgian team Apocalypse, came off with a first place again, becoming favorites to win the title, already with an advantage of

millennium

The layout allowed for a fast and

aggressive game.

21millennium

32 points to the second placed team - Evil Men. This team, hailing from Toulouse, also repeated the position reached in Puget-Sur-Argens, finishing fourth. This team proves that often it does not matter to reach the podium, but rather good finishes in a constant way are more important.

Bitburg’s second place went to the Druid Celtic, thus occupying the third place overall, while the rookies Glory Skulls got the last spot in the podium. This third place is owed to the experience that this German team gained last year in Division 1, although

always with very modest results. Division 2 was perhaps the most exciting

division unless you count CPL. To start with, this division is full of women from various countries. Be it the English Celtic Banshees or the Norwegian’s Fat Lady’s Charms and Poison Ivy. More interesting is to see some of these women hit men as big people, but we’ll get there.

This division featured 32 teams, divided into eight groups of four teams. In this division games are already played on a series of four, which means that there is

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greater competition and where errors do not affect the game much.

Throughout the weekend there was a team that stood out. This team was Poison Ivy, whose players not only fought on equal terms with all the men of this division, but also had a far superior game. The game was controlled, thought out, very communicative and to the astonishment of all, very aggressive. It’s not commom to see these attributes together on a women’s team, but fortunately for paintball, Poison Ivy are making paintball history. After a sixth place in the Puger-Sur-Argens event, they achieved a spectacular second place, being stopped only by the British DV8.

Never in the history of paintball had a team with only female athletes reached such a high position on the podium. In the backstage, several players said they were happy not to be in Poison Ivy’s group, as it would have been traumatizing to be trashed by a team of women.

The DV8 are one of the other sensations of this division. After never having reached a Sunday Club, and having only won two games in 2012, they were able to reach the first place in Bitburg. Much of this success is due to the monitoring done by the one who is probably the best English player of today – Clint Moore – through his paintball school. By achieving first place, they moved up to

millennium

23millennium

It’s commendable

the return of the game through the

snake.

fourth place overall. Third place went to the french Black

Legion that soared into the sixth position overall.

Also noteworthy was Lucky 15s, which with fourth place ensured first place in the standings. One last note to the Italian team Italian Idols playing with the American player Bear Digidio. They showed a thought out solid game that did not work beyond a fifth place finish.

Division 1 is, as everyone knows, the first of enclosed divisions. From the start to the end of the year, 24 teams fight

amongst each other to show which one is the best. Here not only does one fight for the weekend prize, but above all for the

top of the table, with the maximum prize being the immediate passage

to the league above and maybe one day dream with the CPL field.

At this level, there are two distinct groups, barring

a few exceptions. Those who are up the 10th place, fighting

very hard like professional teams that show what they really want, and the

rest. And even within those first ten, the first four were not classified in the two

24

events below sixth place demonstrating the difficulty of this division.

GI London Defiance repeated the first place finish in the French event and had no great rivals throughout the weekend, suffering only the loss of two points in a single game against the Redball Paris. All other games were won by 4:1 or 4:0, thus showing that their place is clearly in SPL league, and so they are almost strolling through Division 1.

Despite the heavy 4:0 defeat in the final

against the GI, the Ronholt Blast got the second place and along with the tenth place finish in Puget, they became fifth overall.

In the final podium spot were the Italians Scorpion Milano that played at the highest level until the last 16 stage. After that point, they always had some difficulties showing their game, having beaten the Cosilium Dei only 2:1 and losing 1:4 with Ronholt. In the battle for third place they were able to win 4:2 against Fighter Pro-Sharm.

millennium

25

SPL is the most fickle division in the circuit, which is not very common. This year there are teams capable of finishing at the end of the table in one event and in the following event achieve a great finish, and the opposite also happens. Examples are the Russians Force Majeure that after having achieved the first place in this division, were 15th in this event. This only means that the quality of play is immense, that any failure is crucial and that it can dictate a defeat or a victory.

The big winners of this level were the

London Tigers, however, transpiring the image of this division, they experienced difficulties in various games as was the case

of the preliminaries against the Hulk Kiev that lost by 3:2. They also had

difficulties against the Greeks Dogs D Amour and in the final against the Boost Air, they only scored one point, setting the score 1:0, something

unusual, especially for a final.With Boost Air in second,

the fight for the third place fell to Dogs D Amour and Moscow Freestyle. The

Dogs, led by legend Ollie Lang, proved to be superior throughout the weekend, having

They did

not want to play Poison Ivyfor fearing

of being beaten by women.

millennium

26 millennium

27millennium

28 millennium

29

only lost against London Tigers, in the access to the final but felt many difficulties against the Ugly Ducklings. The match for the third place was breathtaking, to the point that the Russians managed to score the point for over-time a second away from buzzer ringing. Anyway, the Greeks were superior in the extra period and won by 3:2. With this victory, they managed to climb to the 13th position overall.

When we entered the CPL field everything was different. There was another rhythm, sometimes calmer, sometimes more stressful. For some reason, there was a natural order in there, everyone was respected, everyone was aware of the sacrifices of each other and knew it is not easy being on top. At the end some cried, others laughed.

As we said in the last issue, 2013 is the most competitive year ever in this division. Due to the absence of Dynasty, perennial favorites, the all time never before seen low form of Art of Chaos, or the presence of the «foreigners» Houston Heat, Infamous and Impact, one thing is certain, there were never so many potential winners.

The division with the fewer Millennium teams played with four groups of four teams, with the top two moving on.

In group A, the only doubt was whether the Houston Heat would repeat the poor performance of Puget or if they would show what they are capable of. Coming from another poor result in PSP, everything was

possible. The presence of one of the world’s best players - Ryan Greenspan - on its roster was one more reason to believe that they were capable of wining. What is certain is that they were not in Germany to play around. They won every game, even against the Tontons, winners of the last event, thus achieving first place in the group. The Tontons, with two victories over the Outrage and Carnage, finished second.

In group B, there weren’t many doubts and the order was the expected. Impact first, with three games won, soon followed by Nexus that only lost the game against the Canadians. Third and fourth were the Ducks

and Disruption, respectively.In group C, Breakout Spa

showed they were in Bitburg to make life difficult for those who crossed their path. They started by beating the Syndicate by 5:4, then Icon

by 5:2; they only lost the last game by 4:5 against Art Chaos. By

far, this is not the same team we saw in Puget; they were much stiffer and knew how to solve the points at the right and decisive time. Unfortunately for them, fate dictated that they played immediately on the following stage a far superior Impact which won without much difficulty by 5:1. The first place in the group was pratically reserved for the Russian team - Art Chaos – that won all games of this phase.

In the last group everything was possible. At the start, any team could be at the top of this group. That place went to Infamous with three wins, but two of them came

Freestyle

Moscow assured extra-time a second

from the end.

millennium

30

with the clock running out, having finished 3:2 and 4:3. Polar Bears went through to the second place, again showing that its ascent from SPL to CPL was correct. Instict were gone; after a great year in 2012, they still failed to pass to the Sunday Club. Vision showed a very aggressive game, scoring many points, but always missing the «team» factor when it came to finalizing.

In the quarterfinals, Houston Heat played against the Polar Bears and it was a hard fought game. Despite the defeat, the Russians showed they are the surprise team this year, forcing the Americans to run out

of time and only winning by 3:2.In another game, Nexus defeated

the defending champions - Art Chaos. Concerning this game, there

is still doubt in the air. Was this victory only due to the excellent form of the British or do the Russians no longer have the same gas of other

times? Anyway, Nexus played a super aggressive tournament.

To note that Clint Moore and Marcello Margott were two off the

charts acquisitions, raising this team’s game a lot.

In the last game, the french Tontons showed they wanted to repeat the last event’s

GI London Defiance is

strolling through

Division 1.

millennium

31

result and won against Infamous by 4:1.In the semi-finals, Nexus caught up with

Houston Heat, which at this stage were super aggressive, very coordinated, very much due to the «invited» player - Ryan Greenspan. This athlete made all the difference, point after point. The English had no chance and lost by 4:2.

In the other game, the Tontons and Impact clashed. It was a truly antecipated final, to the delight of all who attended one of the best games of the day. Tonton won by 4:3, once again moving through to the finals. Will the men in blue be able to

win a second consecutive final, when only a few years ago, they had never won any Millennium event?

But an even bigger surprise was to happen. The fight for third place opposed Nexus and Impact. A hard fought battle was expected and another big game to the public, and in some way it was. Nexus proved they are tired of being the mid-table team of recent years and want to return to the glories of the past. They punched the table and showed, point after point that Impact couldn’t cope with them. If you had said, before the game,

millennium

32

that the English would win, we would have believed you, but 5:0, not even in our most remote thought would that have crossed our minds. But that’s exactly what happened, Nexus won 5:0, against one of the best teams in the world. They finished in third place and thus achieved the same position overall.

The next game was the final of the best

European level of paintball. We can only say that those who were not in Bitburg that day, missed one of the best paintball games of all times.

On one side the Americans Houston Heat, on the other the French Tontons. The first were champions of PSP 2012, the latter were the winners of the last event of the Millennium. Everything was possible.

The game began and the Tontons scored the first point. Then the Heat tied. Another point for the Tontons and once again Heat tied.

2:2: all was possible and only six minutes remained.

In the fight for the third

millennium

33

point, the french started with only four players due to a penalty, which didn’t affect them at all. During the game, if it wasn´t for a penalty given to Axel Gaudin, the Heat hardly would’ve scored the third point.

3:2: for the Americans, with five minutes left to play.

One more point and Franck Chambon remained for the final battle against Samuel Monville. The frechman was limited by time and had only half barrel, because the tip was filled with mud when diving into the snake. Point won by Houston Heat.

4:2: and there was little more than one

minute to play.From this moment on everything

changed. On the webcast, commentators said it would be impossible for the

french to turn the game around. Would it

Tontons played to kill and scored a point in 24 seconds, much due to a penalty of 3:1. It was 4:3, Houston Heat still

held the lead and there were only 53 seconds left to play.

Another point and Tontons knew they had nothing to lose. They moved to

kill and succeed in eliminating everyone in less than 20 seconds. In the end, there seemed to be a penalty, when Ryan

millennium

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Clint Moore is probably today’s best

English player.

34

Greenspan hit one of the french players and all hell broke loose.

Initially null point was given, supposedly because there weren’t more players on the field to continue the point. However Axel Gaudin was still alive and ready to score the point. Logic prevailing, the refereeing team decided to give Tontons the point thus tying the game. The crowd screamed and whistled in contentment.

4:4: 33 seconds left. One more point started and in less than 19 seconds the french eliminated the entire American team, leaving everyone in ecstasy. The impossible had happen! Nobody could believe what was happening. In less than a minute it went from a 4:2 defeat to a 5:4 victory.

The refeering team’s decision was crucial to this game’s result. Nevertheless, no one will know which side reason stands on. Houston Heat naturally complained, saying they knew what had happened and that it was to be expected, almost as if the outcome had been somehow manipulated.

Controversies aside, it was a great game and it’s already being said that Tontons are Milennium’s Dynasty, comparing the same number of victories the American team has in PSP.

In Bitburg, the Ladies Cup was held during the first two days. It is the same as saying that the female nations cup was held. These tournaments aren’t always given much importance, mainly in regards

to the youngsters and to the women, but it’s undoubtedly one of the most importante ways to promote our sport. By betting on unexplored niches, more fans and more players are brought up.

This competition was held with seven teams, namely: France, Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Russia, Poland and Norway.

In principle there was a favourite nation, the defending champion – Russia. Other powerful bets were Norway, with their base being the Poison Ivy team, and the french

team.Four double games and one single were held and out of seven teams, four would move on to the finals and two would fight for fifth place.

The team that was left out was the Netherlands. From

early on, it was said they would finish last, due to the fact they

started playing paintball only three months ago. Still they did not lack the courage to enter the field, even though they lost all three games by 4:0.

The fight for fifth place pitted Germany and United Kingdom and the English team was victorious.

In the first semi-final, there was an early final, opposing France versus Norway. It wasn’t an easy game for any of the teams and it ended due to time running out. Victory went to the Norwegian team, thus in the fight for first place.

In the other game, Russia easily beat the sandana girls of Fighting for Poland by 4:1.

millennium

In less than a minute it went from a 4:2 defeat

to a 5:4 victory.

35millennium

36 millennium

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LV1 EGO

GEO

3

PERFORMANCEAD00

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37

In the fight for third place, France did as expected and beat Poland by 4:0.

In the final, between Russian and Norway, the physical fatigue was notable. This is where the difference between a female and male athlete is very much noted. At the end of the tournament, the female entries and progressions in the snake were slow at times, with rest breaks. However, there are other factors, more related to the cerebral aspect of the game, that favor women in this sport.

Norway ended up winning the game against Russia without great difficulties. The success of this Nordic team was very much

owed to the intensive training they had in this field’s layout. One should recall that these ladies not only won this cup, but they also finished second in their division.

In Bitburg it was also disclosed that the Paris event will be held in

Chantilly, located about 50 kilometers from Paris. Despite the sadness of having to leave EuroDisney, the natural beauty of the place charms

anyone, due to their fantastic palace and their extensive

gardens.While waiting for this novelty, there

will still be an event in Basilton, near London that many have affectionately begun to call Bas Vegas.•

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LV1 EGO

GEO

3

PERFORMANCEAD00

23

ANYWAY YOULOOK AT IT!

© 2013 Copyright Planet Eclipse Ltd. Eclipse, the Estar Logo Device, LV1, Geo, Etek and Etha are all either design trademarks, registered trademarks or trademarks of Planet Eclipse Ltd. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

ETEK4

ETHA

Tontons are Millennium’s

Dynasty.

38

The referee’s positioning can depend on the game’s format.

For example in the 3, 5, 7 and even 10 MAN formats, the referees must always maintain some distance from the players and be cautious to the point where their movement won’t reveal the player’s position.

In the race-to formats, where coaching is permitted from outside of the field’s nets, the referee-player distance can be smaller, as discrete movements made by players are discovered through the help of the coaches or supporters.

In any format, the referee should be able to «read the game» i.e. to understand if there is going to be any movement performed by the player, such as the sudden attempt to dump a player: While predicting this, they should position themselves to respond to this change in position in the layout. Basically the referee must be able to always be one step ahead of the player and totally focused on him.

Whenever it is possible, the referee’s positioning should also allow him/her to

observe more than one player at the same time. This should be replicated by the other refereeing team on field.

Besides this, the referee should always maintain a channel line of communication with the referee on the opposing team and with the closest referee.

Although a refereeing team should study the best refereeing positions in the field before a tournament (infield refs, whenever possible), such as the field’s lateral sides (tape and corner refs), it’s normal that in

certain situations some changes can occur during a game.

Some examples of this situation are the points that one of the teams has to recover from a point-wise disadvantage, with less than one minute on the clock, which may mean that refs are positioned the nearest to the centre of the field, in the part of the loosing team whose players will be pressing for an attack. This way, the infield refs shouldn’t make that many movements

rules

positioning and movement

By Domingos Leitão

The referees’ positioning should allow them to observe more than one player.

39rules

positioning and movement

A dynamic positioning during the game is crucial, but the moment when this is most needed is in the breakout of a point or match. It’s very common to notice that the corner refs will occupy one position at the beginning of the match and, after the breakout, they will take up another position that allows them to observe one or more players.

The referees that are on the ground in the centre of the field (infield refs) must maintain their bodies perpendicular to the

to check players, as they could be cutting important lines of fire and they can also act faster in the act of eliminating and/or penalising players located in the centre of the field.

Another example that calls for change in the referee’s positioning is when there is only one player from each team on the field. In this situation, one normally chooses to leave three refs maximum for each player, with the remaining referees occupying the entrances and exits of the field.

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back field line. In this position, in front of the most advanced player of the other team they can, with a simple rotation of the head in an angle of 120º to 150º, observe most if not all players on the field, without the need for movements from the referees on the side lines, so no firing lanes are blocked.

Good positioning is directly proportional to the amount of times the referee gets shot in a day of refereeing. If the position is in front of the player and if he anticipates their movements, he will not be shot often.

The golden rule that all referees must adopt when conducting a paintcheck is that

a ref must never lose visual contact with the player. He/she must move from side to side to check if the player was hit and must generally always observe the player. Many times, it’s this fraction of a second when a player is shot that can dictate his

teams elimination. In other situations, a check might be requested as a distracting manoeuvre to hide the impact of a paintball on some other place.

rules

Golden rule: every time a paint check is made, never break visual

contact with the player.

41rules

During the movements made in a game, two or more referees may stay very close and when they understand the game’s situation, they can change their observation’s position. They swap places with the adjacent referee, so that they can observe the «target» player and his movements, even if he goes to the opposite position. This movement is only carried out by more experienced referees that have a solid internal communication system.

Communication and signalling between referees

will be approached in the next issue of GRIP, as we must bid farewell in this edition, stating that every time referees don’t have a player near them, they must search for areas on the field where they can support their colleagues, increasing the pairs of eyes observing the remaining players. •

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Let’s start this article by dissecting the way we play paintball at high level. The way to judge the level of a player is by looking at what he is playing with. I’m not talking about features like guns, but the things used by the player to help his team to win. And again, I’m talking about helping your team to win, not shooting opponents in gunfight.

I’m going to be straightforward; a beginner player will fight to shoot his opponent, and will almost be limited to this function. A Pro player doesn´t; he fights to hold sway his opponent and profit from the advantage gained. This is a fundamental difference in the game approach, and I’m going to tell you why.

Too often, the paintball player fights to eliminate someone, a little bit like if it was a personal case, a fencing duel in which the players don’t even know the purpose of the fight. In this case, to get in a fight against someone without even knowing who the best is, you are throwing a penny in the air, saying: «Let’s see if I’m better this time». At the end,

we often end up having five situations of 1 on 1 playing, instead of five players against five opponents as it would be ideal. It’s even more real in case of numeric superiority, for example a 3 on 2, where we have two 1 on 1 situations, plus a player waiting for his turn to get in the fight, if one of his teammates gets shot, like a joker.

At high level, the fight gets a whole other signification; we are gun fighting to gain control of the game, of a zone, to

find a way to develop our game.To win a gunfight means that you get

the ascendant, not that we shot him. This approach of the game is essential to understand how paintball is played at this level.

A pro is not looking for a kill when he gunfights, he is looking to dominate, to control. If there’s a «G», it’s only because one of those two players couldn’t let the other express himself

project k

By Axel Gaudin

gunfight

• Helping your team to win is not only about shooting opponents in gunfight.

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that much, he was over-playing and making mistakes.

Here is the key difference of a pro’s approach of the gunfight, unlike less aware players.

The gunfight is not only a way to eliminate players, it’s a much more powerful tool that allows the player to enhance others paintball features.

To win your gunfight allows you to:

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• make a move• help one of your teammates to make

a move• Play on a second opponent (two

players are 40% of the opponent’s team)

• Take a maximum of information into the field, most of the time visual, to get a maximum of settings in your hand and make the right choice.

To win your gunfight is primary, because it’s the only way to set your game wisely and to start operating the four main features of paintball :

• Your individual technique

• Strategic thinking• Your physical condition• Your communication skillsIf we make a quick link with other

team sports, when you are dominating your opponent, you are getting a common advantage. For example, in football, if in a 2 on

2 situation, the front player manages to eliminate the defender in a 1 on 1, then you have 2 front players against only one defender. Why would you keep dribbling for another 1 on 1, when you can get away cleverly and create a scoring opportunity instead, taking no risks. •

• A professional player seeks control and domination.

project k

OTHER TIPS:Project K – Axel GaudinFacebook – Axel Gaudin

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GRIP: You started playing at a ridiculously young age. At 12 years of age did you ever think: «This is what I want to do for the rest of my life?»Justin: I knew from the moment I picked up a paintball marker that was what I wanted to do. Every time I play paintball, regardless of whether it’s in the woods with friends or a serious competition halfway across the world in a foreign land, it’s the same amount of fun as the first time I played. I will never lose my passion for this sport and will continue to help it to grow to the next level with the hope that one day we can all make a living doing what we love.

GRIP: You have always played with great teams, worked in the industry and travelled a lot due to this sport. Many dream with this life. What will you tell if anyone asks you how to achieve this success?Justin: I am very blessed to have played with the teams that I have played with. I would recommend anyone who wants to become professional in paintball to work your tail off. It’s not the will to win that means the most, but the will to get prepared to win. That

interview

means going out to the field every weekend and snap shooting at a pole for half the day, running and shooting at targets and doing all of the basic drills, in order to become the best at what you do. Remember to pay attention to detail in order to achieve anything you want in life. There is no such thing as luck. LUCK is

Outside of the field he is a short guy, always smiling and being nice to everyone. Inside, he is a giant warrior giving no truce to anyone. GRIP introduces you to Justin Schwarz.

Justin Schwarz

Text: André Garrido «What really matters is your will to prepare your victory.»

47interview

Labour Under Correct Knowledge, so when you work hard enough you can attract anything you want into your life.

GRIP: This year you are playing with Vision in Europe. How was the process for you to start with this French team?

Justin: I met Lyonnel a few years ago in Europe, when I came to play with Dynasty-Arsenal and we became good friends. He’s an awesome guy and has been in paintball for a very long time. We have been trying to work something out for the past few seasons, but it was too expensive for them

Justin Schwarz

«What really matters is your will to prepare your victory.»

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to have me come and play with them. This year everything worked out and I am very fortunate to be a part of the Vision Family. This team has so much potential and young talent that I am excited to help them grow. We have a lot to work on but I feel that this team has the potential to be top 4 every tournament they play in.

GRIP: You are the only non-French player in the team. Isn’t it difficult in terms of integration and communication?Justin: Playing on an all French speaking team is quite difficult during the game. Communication in paintball is one of the most important things. If someone makes a move and you don’t know about it across the field, they are likely to shoot you, if you are exposing yourself. So the language barrier is definitely something that we need to work on. We have been putting the person on the team that speaks the best English on my side of the field which has definitely helped me.

GRIP: And how is your process of training with Vision?Justin: I fly out the weekend before the events and we practice 3-4 times against teams such as the Tontons and Icon, on the layout for the tournament at Starter Park in Marseille. The practices usually consist of drills for a few days and then we scrimmage teams on the layout for a day or two, before we head to the tournament.

GRIP: You said you think that Vision can be in the top 4 in every event, but at the moment, you have only had one victory in six games. What is the reason for this lack of success?Justin: The reason for lack of success has to do with closing games. We do not close games as a team and are very good at shooting people on the break. Our record shows 1 win and 5 losses, however each game has been decided within few points, most of the time we were winning and gave the game back.

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«Vision has to be top 4 in every tournament.»

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GRIP: What is for you the difference between the American style and the European one?Justin: I have noticed the major difference between Europe and the USA style of play is the speed of the games. In Europe, it seems as though the points are quicker and you can make bigger moves throughout the game, as in the USA each move must be methodically calculated, because one mistake during a point will cost you a win from a loss.

GRIP: The American players usually either hate or love the European reffings in Europe. What is your opinion?Justin: I think the reffing in Europe is very strict; however it is strict across the board. In my opinion, they enforce the rules the same way with every team and it doesn’t seem like they have any favourites. They are just doing their job, which is great for the series. The winners will be the cleanest playing team that played the layout the best.

«Equipment need to be more affordable for the average person to play paintball.»

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GRIP: You played in Millennium some years ago. What are the differences from those times to the last Millennium events?Justin: I think when I was playing a few years ago the tournaments seemed a little bit larger, however with the global economy being where it’s at, I can see why not as many teams are at the events. Hopefully we can find a solution to get more people and kids back into the sport.

GRIP: Everyone is talking about bringing «the kids» to the sport but it seems that

interview

«Eurorefs enforce the rules the same way with every team and it doesn’t seem like they have any favourites.»

the brands don’t bet on this market. What do you think should be done to grant more kids in paintball?Justin: Honestly I don’t have the slightest clue, other than making it more affordable to play paintball. Paint, markers, and gear need to be more affordable for the average person to play paintball. Other than that, I am not too sure how to grow the sport and bring more people into paintball. Also bring one of your friends who has never played to the field and let them use your gear. That’s another way, but I am stumped as to what to

51interview

do to help paintball to grow.

GRIP: You spend almost 100% of your time connected to paintball. Don’t you feel tired or need to have a break sometimes?Justin: Yes, I do and I have been thinking about that a lot lately. I am getting to the age when I think I need to take a step back from paintball and focus on me. Paintball is a fulltime job when you are at the top and staying at the top takes all of your time and weekends at the field training.

GRIP: What will you do if you stop playing paintball?Justin: I’ll focus on school and start my

business in the United States.

GRIP: You always have a smile or a nice word, even when you had a bad tournament like the one you had in Bitburg. Where do you go get this geniality in bad moments like those?Justin: I have come to find that in life if you stay positive it’s hard for bad things to happen to you. Everything in life happens for a reason and there are no bad days, just days that you gain experience on what not to do. I watched a movie called «The Secret» a few years back and I highly recommend it to everybody. It basically says that you need to think of your body as a

«In Europe it seems the points are quicker and you can make bigger moves throughout the game.»

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beacon of energy. And whatever you put out into the world is what you will get back. If you are a positive person, then good things will be attracted into your life. It’s called the law of attraction and has changed my perspective on how I view life. It’s amazing and everybody should read the book or watch the movie. It will most definitely change your perspective on life and on how you act or react to certain situations in life. Remember that even the worst situations

«Every time I play paintball it’s the same amount of fun as the first time I played.»

have some sort of positive light to them; sometimes you just have to look harder to find the positive.

GRIP: To finish, some words for your GRIP’s fans.Justin: Thank you to all my fans. I hope that I can inspire you all in some way to chase your dreams. Check out my fan page for daily inspiration and motivation and Justin «LJ» Schwarz. •

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Photos: RSH Media Design: Handy Tims

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GUIMARÃES

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On the 11th and 12th of May, the second stage of the Portuguese Paintball Championship was held in Guimarães, Portugal. We were there and we didn’t regret it.Text: André Garrido

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EUROPEAN CITY OF SPORTS 2013

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GUIMARÃES

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The choice of Guimarães was mostly due to the fact that it is the European city of Sports in 2013. This was a clear advantage towards our sports’ promotion, directly involving it with other sports such as foot volley or futsal, or with many other workshops that happened during the weekend on the same space.

This proximity with other sports not only shown competitive paintball as a serious sport but also, at the same time, it disclosed a side of it that people usually aren’t aware of.

Contrarily to most paintball tournaments we’ve attended, even in other countries,

it was common to see children and the elderly side by side trying to understand what was going on inside the complex. Many

times they asked the players for information, to understand the

rules, the movements and all the logistics involved.

The space where the championship was held couldn’t be more appropriate,

since it was on the park of the sports city. The layout was set up

on a large lawn field, which could easily support three or four paintball fields side by side. This would have certainly happened if it wasn’t for the new policy from the Portuguese Paintball Federation to

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Children and the

elderly asked the players

about the rules.

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use only one field, in order to diminish the expenses and at the same time, to be able to pay a professional refereeing team.

On Saturday, the third division game was held – the Swell League. The biggest advantage of this division is that it’s an open division, in which the teams are able to sign up whenever they want to, at any time of the year. Due to that, there was an increase on the number of teams comparing with the first stage.

As it was expected, this was the league which the game style was the least interesting. It is disputed in the 5man style, played with only one point per game – essentially, the team that scores, wins! As it

is normal, contrary to Xball, where a little carelessness can be managed, here there’s no room for sloppiness. Consequently, there’s a big difference between the sharks of this division and the group of other teams still taking the first steps.

It’s common to see the players equipped with army boots, or teams in which no one has the same equipment. But one thing is sure, it’s in these divisions that paintball is lived with more fun and less confusion.

Swell League winners were the Brothers and Friends, which used all their experience to overcome the Mad Dogs and the C4=RTU. The Mad Dogs are a young, recent team on the Portuguese picture and little by little

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they have been conquering their place in this division. We’re under the impression that if they had a good coach they could aim for other goals. The C4=RTU were the favourites in this division, not only because they occupy the first place overall, but

also because they were the last year’s champions; they’re a very strong team due to their great experience.

It was a whole different story on Sunday. The nervousness was in the air. From the players’ zone, where everyone got equipped

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in the shadow, through the players that still were seeing the last lines of the field, everyone was waiting for the game to begin.

On the most important day of the competition, two leagues were played with Xball and race-to-4. The second division was the GRIP League, a division comprised by ten teams, and the first division league – O JOGO, by eight teams. In this stage there was a particularity, because two teams were promoted, one from the second division to the first and another from the third division to the second one, due to the withdrawal of Leiria’s team in the first

stage, from the first division.The second division showed a different

charisma. Things were taken very seriously and the rivalry between the competing

teams was high. From what we saw, it’s possible to say the teams

that got the first and second place on this division could easily fit in with the best from the first division. We’re

talking about Damaiense, a team that last year was under

the radar in the Portuguese picture and that this year is one of the most

cohesive and controlling teams in Portugal, and also about the most recent luxury team – Beira-Mar – that relies on former

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Until the

buzzer goes off, they

are the worst enemies!

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international players, such as Gil Belford and Miguel Franco. In the third place on this division there were the Trolls Ink, the typical team of friends that gets wins due to the pleasure they tale from playing the game and being with each other.

The team that was promoted a division – Relâmpagos – couldn’t get more than the last place. Even though they’ve some experience on this game model from other competitions, it wasn’t enough to rise in the ranking. Luckily for them, according to the rules, due to them having entered

this division in the middle of the year, they couldn’t be relegated.

In the league O JOGO are the top teams, namely the international Benfica or

other teams with national fame, such as Trolls, Sporting or Belenenses. One thing is sure, outside of the field, they’re all good friends; inside, until the buzzer goes off, they’re

the worst enemies. The rivalry is was intense and visible. The

target was the current national champions – Benfica – which, after a first setback on the initial stage, opened doors to teams as the Metralhas or Sporting.

30 teams spread over 3

divisions.

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Paintland continued to be a great surprise, on the negative side, because after a year of success in 2012, they’re making a terrible start of the season, getting the sixth place on this competition. It will be hard to fight for a national title when they’re practically 100 points away from the first place.

In the last two positions are Triball XXL and Belenenses that, along with Paintland, have shown they won’t be able to go up in the ranking of this difficult division.

The first surprise of the game happened when Metralhas didn’t go through the finals. The big team from the north of Portugal hadn’t lost a single competition to this date

and they were confident enough to finally leave the Benfica players out of the game. However, the game decided which team went through to the finals, that opposed those same teams and it was decided that Benfica won. We say it was decided, due to an error of refereeing the game that had to be settled outside the field, dictating Benfica’s win, leaving Metralhas out of the finals.

Benfica, Sporting, the Trolls and the newcomers Prophecy went through to the finals.

Even though they went up a division only in this stage, Prophecy are the sensation team of these last two years, mostly due to the professionalism with which

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they face their sponsors and supporters, disclosing them in an unusual way. Last year they couldn’t go up a division for a one point difference only, but they kept on fighting and, at the first opportunity, they showed they were there to make everyone’s life difficult. They conquered the first place due to a superb player from the Doritos side – Pedro Graça – that made very little mistakes, with a very high aggressiveness level, as well as thanks to the tactic used in the snake, where two men were immediately set up, in

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a field clearly won by that side.History was made in Portugal, when

an amateur team was promoted to the professional division and beat the best. Benfica finished In second, leaving the Trolls in third place.

This is a tournament we know really well, due to the number of times we’ve attended it. What’s sure is that, comparing with many other tournaments we’ve been on, this is by far one of the best, regarding the conditions offered to the players, such as the quality of the lawn, the obstacles and the whole inherent logistic.

If we think about the climate, it isn’t difficult to understand how paintball can move so many people in such a small country. When there’s rain only three to four times a year, and there’s always sun, we can consider Portugal to be the perfect place to practice our sport.

Other interesting characteristic of this country is that many teams are directly connected to renowned structures of football, such as Benfica, Sporting,

Belenenses, Beira-Mar or Damaiense. The only less positive point was the refereeing team that

is still on a learning stage. It is noticeable that there’s some lack of coordination and communication between some

members, but this certainly won’t be hard to improve with

time. It’s absolutely a plus for any tournament to have a professional

refereeing team instead of being arbitrated by teams or «mercenary» referees. •

History was made

in Portugal; an amateur

team beat the professionals.

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Vanquish: Emboscada Paintball Store Gloves: Emboscada Paintball Store Loader: Emboscada Paintball Store Tank: Emboscada Paintball Store Pants: Emboscada Paintball Store Necklace: NãoSó Clothes: Triângulo das Bermudas Shoes: Marni by H&M

Photographer: Carlos RodriguesModel: Leonor Keller

Makeup & Hair: Sílvia FerreiraStyling: Adelaide Nunes & Sandrina Francisco for Glove Attitude & Style

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LEONOR KELLER

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Goggles: Emboscada Paintball StoreElbow Pads: Emboscada Paintball StoreLoader: Emboscada Paintball StoreMarker: Emboscada Paintball StoreNecklace: NãoSóClothes: Triângulo das BermudasBoots: DKODE by Triângulo das Bermudas

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Vanquish: Emboscada Paintball Store Loader: Emboscada Paintball Store Tank: Emboscada Paintball Store

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Vanquish: Emboscada Paintball StoreLoader: Emboscada Paintball StoreTank: Emboscada Paintball StoreSandals: Aleksandar Protic for DKODE by Triângulo das BermudasNecklace in the right hand: NãoSóClothes: Triângulo das Bermudas

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«I’m a pro paintball player, that’s my job.»

Greg Hastings

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GRIP: What are your first thoughts on Warped North vs South?Greg Hastings: I walked 24Km! But the diversity of the field, it was clearly like a video game map, each section had its own personality.I like ruble, I don’t like fake built paintball fields, but this one has got walls, ditches, there’s danger, there’s real danger on that field, so that’s what I appreciated on this field, it’s awesome.I’m getting ready to go to Mahlwinkel, Eurobiggame in Germany, and I tell you right now, they better step up their game! This was awesome, I hope to get invited back here… it was killer.

GRIP: You have played in tons of events since your first ones in 1987! What are your top most memorable moments?GH: I rank them up as milestones in my career, and the first time I played professionally, I got called by Bob Long, because he was scouting me. I got a chance to play in a NPPL event in Boston, and that was huge.We took the podium, we were in the top 4 in my first pro event! The following year I was able to jump to another team, Ground Zero,

Text: André Faria

We spoke with the person who has done the most for our sport in the last years. Competition, scenario, video games and HD cameras; he is everywhere.

interview

and turn pro. That was a huge milestone for me, it’s hard work paying off.The other one I remember is my first pro win, after all that hard work, getting to where I was supposed to be, doing all the things with your team mates and getting a win… I cried, man… I lost it! You don’t know what to do to yourself the first time you win a pro event, it’s just nuts!I hosted an event when I released my first

video game, in Hollywood Sports Park in California. We didn’t play paintball, we just played videos games and met all kinds of celebrities, it was really cool.Paintball is awesome and it is treating me incredibly well, so I’ll hopefully pay it back someday.I think after playing pro for so long, the most success that I enjoyed in the sport was when I was playing for XSV. It was the time when we were at the height of our career, winning everything. We managed to beat Dinasty and left them with a few second places (laughs), we missed becoming World Champions at

«The Europeans beat us in the party zone!»

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that time by literally two points and I was releasing my video game at the same time, I started to go on this roller coaster.Even after this event, I’m leaving to go to Scotland for the first time, to do some sightseeing. I’m going to Mahlwinkel from there and then I’m going home, to ride my motorcycle and I won’t answer my phone for like two weeks. (laughs)

GRIP: Sometimes the biggest event is not the best and the venue makes the day! What are your top 4 venues?GH: Wooow… I have to say the one that totally blew my mind was the original Mahlwinkel fields. I´ve had a couple of battles in there

and I feared for my freaking life. The crazy Germans were sticking their guns over the window, trying to destroy me! It was an incredible fantasy, it was unbelievable, and it’s not there anymore. That was my number one venue. Man, the rest is just…It has to be Oklahoma D-Day, it’s just epic!You also have to mention SC Village in Southern California; it’s been there for «159 years», I think they still dig out paintball dinosaurs there. But it’s set up like a movie set, so they really do it right.Wasaga Beach Paintball, in Canada. Those guys better invite me back, just because of the terrain in one little section, man! I just remember being in one spot and nobody could kill me, but I was destroying people and I got it all on video to prove it, so... (laughs).Hold on a second, that’s a tough question to ask, I could literally swap out one or two of those other places, like the Jed Green fields or the National Paintball Fields. I’ve been to local fields; little mom and pap places and the fields are ridiculously fun.I have so many… but you made me pick four… damn you. (laughs)

GRIP: You get a ton of fun and life experience by travelling the world doing what you love. Name the peak moments for you in all those travels? GH: Seeing all the ‘ballers who do what I do

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«Airball» was boring. Too easy.»

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and travel to compete, especially my old friends who I’ve known almost my whole career. Next best thing... getting home!

GRIP: Name the main differences between USA and European Big Games, from your experience in them.GH: There are a lot of similarities; in fact there are probably more similarities than differences. You have the camping community, travel with your mates, pack up all your shit, blow all the money you have, you don’t sleep, you are exhausted, you can’t talk at the end of the day, you laugh all week long remembering that we did this and that, and some people can only do that once a year, and it’s the same in the states.Everybody has the same smile; we have the same media following us around and taking great pictures of all the players, great promoters.

One of the things that I’d like to tell you is that the most important people in our sport are the field owners, and over here is the same thing. I love to talk to them, they know their market, but it’s different from the States. The way they approach the marketing, the way they approach the pricing and everything, that’s clearly different than how they do it in the States.I could not put my finger on what actually it is, but I know they do something different; it has to be something different.

GRIP: Who plays better USA or European players? Why?GH: That’s a good question. I tell you I was playing a game with XSV, in one of those televised events; it was three against one, a Russian player against three of us. Thomas Taylor was to my left, we were trying to spread the field and this guy got some

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incredible snapshooting skills, we were all eliminated and he won the game. I guess everyone got the chance to be a hero, you know what I mean? You get an English guy to do that one day, and a Chinese guy to do it on another one day. He who commits himself the hardest is the best on that day.

GRIP: About the events, do you know if Europeans «do it better»?GH: Boy, that’s another tough question (laughs). I have to say the Europeans party way harder than the American ones, the after party… I don’t even know if I want to mention that, but some of the «stuff» they have going on after the event, I said «stuff» (laughs), they don’t have any of that in the States, where you might get a wet t-shirt contest if you are lucky.I think it’s close, but the Europeans beat us in the party zone! (laughs)

GRIP: What gear do you use and why?GH: I shoot a Tippmann Crossover. Tippmann called me when they were getting ready to launch the marker and asked me to test it. I’m a autocoker guy, I like a man’s gun, I don’t want a Chinese toy, don’t give me a Chinese toy, I want something that is robust, has some weight like a real firearm, I don’t need it to be super light, I can still lift it.But when I started to test it, I realized how rouged it was. It’s a man’s gun, it’s solid, and when you pay your money you get something substantial. This weekend I had the paint dialed in with a

nice sized barrel, and man I had the best air efficiency. I have a 45, I shot five pods and a hooper, and I was still coming off with lots of air. That was amazing; I probably could shoot another pod and a half. It’s phenomenal.And you can switch from mechanic to full on electronic. That’s incredible and so the gun will never go down, it will never fail you, it will always work. GRIP: Was it a free sponsor pack to test it out?I play professionally, so I need to get paid to do what I need to do and team up with such a professional team. I don’t associate my name with anybody, I have my video

game franchised, I have signature deals with big companies, big publishers like Sony and Microsoft and I have to watch my reputation; I might lose my reputation and I don’t want that.Over many years, I have decided not to tie myself in with «someone’s company» unless I’m with a team and it’s a team sponsorship. So when these guys called me and said we want you to be in our stuff, I tested it, made sure it could do what I wanted it to do, so I’m in. And when they said they had new goggles coming out, I said: «now I’m in the business, I can get the two main things that I need on the field.»It’s been great, Tippmnan is taking great care

«When mothers had to come over and yell at their kids to put my game down,

I knew I had a hit video game again!»

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of me. I’m sitting right here giving you this interview on their dime, they paid me to be here and paid all my expenses to come and do my thing. It’s an honor to be here and I

appreciate them doing it, it’s amazing.

GRIP: Tell us more about the new «Greg Hastings Paintball Fields of Battle» game

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for mobile devices.GH: I was working on that for little over a year; it’s amazing, man! I was nervous; I’m always nervous when I ship a game, and it’s our 11th year now. You want everybody to like it and I’ve learned to get thick skin, because not everybody likes what you do. You get a couple of «this sucks», and then you get a couple of «Wow this is the best game in the world».So what we were able to do with this game was to take full advantage of the incredible boom in technology that the handheld devices are having right now. Everybody has a powerful device in their pocket, with more technology that’s ever been available. We have this and the download speeds, everything, so there’s a perfect storm happening. I made a cell phone game three or four

years ago and it did pretty well on Verizon, but you know back then games didn’t have the features and abilities of the ones these days have. I made it, a couple of people bought it and then it went away. Now the way phones are connected around the world, god bless Facebook and the social media and all that other stuff, when I release a game, it goes everywhere.Did you guys know that my game is ranked 13th in the world out of all other apps? I say again, out of all the other apps! Let me show you this (pulls the phone and starts showing some e-mails with the ranks). I’m very proud of this (laughs).My game is out for six days, I haven’t done any advertising yet, because we wanted to do a soft release and let everyone beat on

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it for a little while. Top free app’s you have are google, youtube, gmail and paintball is number 13 in the world.So that’s why I’m very excited about this game. It’s not really about me, it’s about putting paintball in front of so many people. I’m doing my job to get people playing this freaking sport. I’m doing my job!We didn’t have to spend a lot of advertising money, it’s been a blessing to get that out, and we are getting this out for Android devices. And you know what? You don’t even need to ask me a lot about it, it’s free, go download it, try it out, beat the crap out of it, it’s free!

GRIP: You needed a crowd funding to help start «Greg Hastings› Tournament Paintball Max›d 2» game, why?GH: My old developers were sitting on this award winning money making code, and they asked me: «hey, why don’t we try this on a PC? And I said, was a little busy working on this game for cell phones! So we gave it a shot and developed a kick starter campaign to do it». It failed unfortunately, but I had a backup plan, a plan B and a plan C. I’m still going to consider re-releasing Max on PC.

GRIP: Why did it fail?GH: For one reason or another, it didn’t kick off in the kick starter; I don’t know why, we put a great campaign out, and spent a bunch of money on it.

Yeah, I lost a lot of money on that unfortunately. You know not everything works, you try and you try and you try…

GRIP: You made several games during the last 11 years, with great success on the Xbox for example. Is it enough to live from its gains?GH: I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t! Well I mean, big money can be made and big money can be lost, it’s a risk!When you make a video game, you sit on a whole pile of money at first, right? Then you have a design document, and then if you are fortunate to have a big enough budget, you

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can pay yourself. So you have a normal job and then, if the game is successful, you might be lucky to get a royalty on the backend.So I’m pretty much a rollercoaster, I might go for six months without an income, I might go for a year without an income, but when that income comes in, its big! And then I pay myself back for the year, and pay my expenses. That’s my own business, the Greg Hasting franchise; I have shareholders and partners, a lot of people help me do what I do, it’s amazing.

GRIP: You use real venues and real brand markers in those games, how was the feedback from the players and industry?GH:I don’t know! Do you know why I don’t know? Because all they are telling me is the game is awesome! They are not specifically giving me this part is awesome, or this thing is awesome, the feedback is amazing.I’m always nervous when I’m releasing the games. We took my game to demo it at the Penny Arcade Expo, the big video game show, I did it with Kee Action Sports and Boston Paintball. We had a booth and there were some 40.000 people walking around, being video game geeks, so they came buy and shoot paintballs next to me. I was standing there demoing this game and we had over 1000 people trying it.When mothers had to come over and yell at their kids to put my game down, I knew I had a hit video game again!

GRIP: GRIP readers like clean facts, without Hollywood effects. Tell us more about Activision trying to steal your game

franchise, without sugar coating it.GH: Ahhh they are fuckers! They are fuckers! You know what, they should be ashamed of themselves, because I’m a small shop guy, I have a small team, making a great game for a great sport, all good intentions. Those guys made a boat load of money, with paintball and

I and then they tried to jam it up my ass by trying to steal my name. It’s a common tactic that big corporations like Activision and publishers do to lure all

«I like a man’s gun, I don’t want a Chinese toy.»

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the game shops, it happens all the time! If you ask any small shop developer like me they’ll tell you that publishers are scumbags, they are evil bastards, and they will eat you if you blink.People think that when you ship a video game, that there’s a huge party going on... and there is, but somebody had a heart attack, somebody got divorced, somebody went bankrupt, somebody got fired, somebody had an emotional breakdown. All of these things behind the scenes go on while making a video game. And when you chime in with the publishers at the end, they pretty much try to rob you and squish you under their thumb. It totally makes people not want to develop

through publishers anymore.That’s why this new console coming out, called OUYA, is a bunch of smart people sick of getting shit, getting jammed up their ass from publishers so they created this thing! You can look it up on kickstarter, it’s was the number 1 campaign. I’m a backer and my game will be on the OUYA, a 99$ console, with thousands of free games that comes with a controller, it’s ridiculous!That’s why I’m blessed to have the Iphones, I get to break away from Activision, I don’t have to freaking sweat those idiots anymore, they can suck it! Because I don’t even need to call them, they can suck it!

GRIP: You also made an interesting video camera with different mounts called R7. Can you describe how did you get involved in that project, from the concept to the finished product?GH: It actually came from video games; I was trying to find the best way to mount a camera on my marker, to show game developers what I see, to make the best paintball video game.Inadvertently, I invented a product! I had a light going on in my head, because I had people emailing me, saying «Greg I saw you camera mount, how did you do that?». I went home from an event one day and I thought «I have to stop using this, I think this is going to be a business!» Cause everybody wanted it! I solved the problem of how to mount a camera on your marker perfectly, and I did it!I went and refined the Idea. Once I filed the patent for it, I went to the Consumer Electronic Show last year and I just wandered around, met with all the top camera

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companies and at the end I didn’t get any deals. I knew what I had! They were getting a dude with a video game, the marketing they would have got would have been phenomenal!So I found this little company in the back of the place called Replay, I introduced myself, I pulled out an Autococker, and I said: «Do you have two minutes? I’m going to show you how to do something fun with your camera!» and he went: «Sure». So I took out the marker, removed the hopper, put the clamp back on, put their camera on my thing, put the hopper back on and I handed it to him and they said: «Holly shit!».I said I would like to make a deal with them and they said ok. I came back the next day and they said: «Hey we were googling you all night! We want to make a deal right now». And that’s how it went down!They are great people and they have been taking good care of me, and I have the World Wide exclusive rights to that camera with my bracketing system, in paintball and airsoft, and shooting stuff.

GRIP: You started your commercial career in paintball with the «Redz Comfort Pack», followed by the computer games and now the R7. What should we expect new from you?GH: I am always inventing. I Just don’t have enough time to pursue everything. Most definitely more games and an expansion of my R7 products. Who knows, you may find me teaching scuba in South Florida in the coming years.

GRIP: Do you consider yourself one of the

most successful ambassadors for this sport?GH: I would consider myself an ambassador, I wouldn’t say the most successful; a lot of people help me do what I do. And there’s a heck of a lot of moms and dads out there taking their kids to play paintball. I’m not the one driving them.But I’m hoping that maybe my games and what I’ve done inspire that, I don’t know, but more credit goes to moms and dads. We need more mom and dad’s money!GRIP: Tell us some things you absolutely love on the sport?GH: I like the friends that I meet, because we have a common interest. Do you know what I really like? I like seeing some of my old

friends, the Pros, who still do what I do on the road. A lot of people come here for fun and certainly I do that, but when you are on the road 40 weeks, 50 weeks a year to play paintball, that’s a job, it’s tough!So when I meet guys like Pete Utschig, man… it brings tears to my eyes, because he is still doing it, he is still on the grind, after all these years still doing great stuff for Dye. Hopefully Tippmann people think I’m doing a good job for them. We are on the grind, we are still hustling.

GRIP: And what do you absolutely hate, that may damage the sport?GH: I hate that paintball companies don’t make children stuff! We have motorcycles

«I hate that paintball companies don’t make children stuff!»

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that are miniature with miniature helmets, we have snowboarders with little mini snowboards and mini snow boots, pick any sport! Little mini soccer balls, little mini football helmets, little mini football pads. Our industry sucks in getting eight, nine and ten year old players in our sport with equipment that is designed specifically for them. I’m hoping to get Tippmann kicking in gear, to make a little miniature hopper, with a little miniature marker, with a little miniature set of goggles, so a nine year old kid can actually play the sport!Have you ever seen a nine year old kid trying to hold a pod and a Model 98? It doesn’t work! Our industry is not paying attention to the most important growth in the sport and that is the new player. Forget going after the old guy, let’s get the nine, ten and eleven

year old kids playing our sport, and let’s put them in gear that actually fits them, and they can actually be proud of.

GRIP: The question everyone wants to know the answer: you play, travel, attend games

and live of paintball gains alone. Do you consider yourself a paintball professional?GH: Oh yeah I’m a pro paintball player, that’s my job.

GRIP: How do those big game invitations work? Do organizers pay you all the

«I don’t trust posers who are all clean and smell nice

on a paintball field.»

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expenses?GH: You are talking more about my tour of duty, which was inspired by me going to great events one at the time. They invite me to promote their event, and hopefully I became a draw for what I do.But then when I realized if I put a tour together, and I list everybody that I’m going to see through out that year, everybody works together. So the first event that I go to, they sponsor me and promote my tour of duty, and essentially they are helping all the other fields too. But at the end of the tour, they are actually helping the first from the tour. It’s a way to get all the fields together behind a common interest. I like to think I bring the challenge and the fun factor, that’s what the tour of duty is all about: highlighting the best fields and events all around the world, but we are all doing it together. It’s like my sponsorship with Tippmann; They sponsor my whole tour; that’s another reason why it’s great to be with Tippmann, because they support my tour as a whole and then everybody gets the great promotions all at once. So it’s been working out well.

GRIP: And the teams? With whom do you play in international games?I make friend wherever I go, like here. The Scottish warriors showed up and I jumped in with them. Last year they weren’t there and I jumped in with a Norwegian team. I play with whoever says «Hey, come hang out»; actually whoever has food and beer. (laughs)

GRIP: Do you miss the times when you played pro airball?

GH: Not at all. Not for one second. It was a necessary evil that I suffered through; I got some glory and some heart ache, then I went back to why I love the sport in the first place, back to the woods. «Airball» was boring. Too easy. A solid epic battle in the woods or rubble is ten times more challenging. So... I get more challenge and more fun? Done!!!

GRIP: What camo pattern do you use?I use dirt. Mud. Funk. Slime. Dead animals. Bugs. Fungus. Mold. All of those are the best camo. I don’t trust posers who are all clean and smell nice on a paintball field.

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GRIP: Final words...GH: Thanks to GRIP Magazine, we appreciate all the things you guys do, you are very important for the growth of our sport. A lot of people can´t make it to the events and you guys are going to bring the story back to the masses, so we are on the same team,

you and I are doing the same thing, right? I brought a whole bunch of videos and pictures and you guys do the same, so when we get home we’ll hit the go button and hopefully get a bunch of kids excited and signing in the next time. Thank you guys, I appreciate it.•

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Big Paintball Maneuvers

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Russia is not a good country for people that suffer from heart diseases. Explosions, tanks, rockets and 3000 players defined one of the biggest games in Europe.Text: Miguel Brito

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How could even begin to describe this event? Sure we could show some of the awesome pictures of tanks and mortars, or write about the battles, but really, the most distinguishing features of this event were the atmosphere and the people.

But let’s start from the beginning. In May, GRIP decided to go to Moscow, Russia, to cover a very special paintball game. The game, Big Paintball Maneuvers, is one of the - if not the -, biggest Paintball Big Game in Europe, with 3000 players battling out on an abandoned Soviet era hospital, in the outskirts of Moscow.

The event is of a scale unlike anything you have ever seen in the old continent. The venue is split into four main areas. The main entrance to the site is where players can register, purchase any last minute equipment and catch a bus to one of the two team camps, the Blue Team HQ or the

Red Team HQ, which are on opposite sides of the massive 100 hectares of playing field.

After meeting with the event organizer, Nick Sobolev, who was appropriately dressed as a pirate (game theme), we got our little gift bags and promptly got on the bus headed for the Blue HQ. On arrival, you would immediately notice dozens of

huge military tents, all filled with players setting up their gear. Opposite to these was the command tent, where the Blue team, General, along with his officers, stared and pointed at a large tactical map of the area, laid out on the table. Off to the side there were two military trailer mounted

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kitchens, preparing lunch for the troops and, at the back, two large trucks unloaded box after box of paint.

At 10:00am the game began. Usually, in other parts of the world, a whistle or a siren is enough to signal the start of the game, but not in Russia… here the game began with an explosion! And quite a big one, right in the centre of the map, so both teams could hear it. A huge cloud of smoke could be seen in the distance and players started rushing past the nets and into the field.

With this many players, there was always

something going on, somewhere. Battles during the first few hours were mostly concentrated in the woods, with snipers in ghillie suits setting up ambushes along the roads that connected the different checkpoints. Small squads tried to break through the flanks, but the playing area was just so big that you couldn’t simply «hug the tape» and work from there, there was always someone in front of you, shooting back.

After about an hour of stealthier skirmishing in the woods, the fighting

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form of mortars and anti-tank guns. Again, all of these were homemade, especially the ammunition, which for the mortars included smoke rounds made of plastic

bottles, lots of duct tape and some secret Russian ingredient. With all these assets being fielded on both sides, a massive battle ensued, this time, out in the open and around the villages that had to be

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moved to the roads and crossroads, as the tanks rolled into battle. These are, by far, one of the biggest attractions of this Big Game. They are a testimony of the Russian ingenuity and the DIY attitude. One of the tanks is a replica of a Russian T-34 from the Second World War. It moves on tracks, has a diesel engine, a commander hatch, traversable turret, machine gun ports for sticking your marker out and engaging infantry and, most importantly, it has a working main gun that fires, not paintballs, neither nerf rockets, but homemade rockets that explode on impact!

After the tanks, came the artillery, in the

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captured. At one point, it sounded like a real battle! As you came back from the field hospital, you could hear the explosions in the distance and the clouds of smoke rising over the treetops. You always knew where the party was.

Back at HQ, the atmosphere was frantic. At one point, the General received a message on the radio: «our team has captured the fishing village»; he then shouted out the message to the troops passing by and everyone shouted «URRAH!», the famous Russian battle cry. This really boosted the morale. It was Impressive how involved they were in the game.

At any time during the day, you could pop by the kitchen and get your free lunch. The menu was potato stew, that is, potato with potato, which actually tasted a lot better than it looked! The organization also provided fresh water, which was great, considering temperatures around noon were reaching 35ºC.

Towards the end of the day, the Blues were being pushed back to one of their spawns. In an attempt to repel the attackers, a small group of players, tried to escort the Blue tank up, to flank the Red team. They succeeded and even destroyed one enemy tank by rushing it and putting a grenade in a basket at the back, near the engine. Despite the effort, a red player sneaked up on the Blue T-34 and did the same. Now without tank support, the small group was quickly outnumbered and overwhelmed. While falling back, another Red tank emerged out of the woods and fired a shot at the already disabled tank;

they missed the shot and it flew straight past our heads! We were promptly told by a

He missed the shot and it flew straight past our heads! - «Don’t

put your head next to tank!»

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Russian «don’t put your head next to tank!»At 6:00pm, the game finally ended, with

most players still battling it right to the very end. Victory was awarded to the Red team, but it was a very close game, with the Blues controlling most of the flanks, while the Reds had been pushed down to the centre.

Regardless of the result, players at Blue HQ were still celebrating and congratulating the team general on a job well done.

Truly, this was an epic event! The Russian paintball community and the Russian people are what make this event something to remember for years to come. •

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GRIP: Tell me a bit of the story behind Big Paintball Maneuvers?Nick Sobolev: Our company started in the paintball business back in 1994 and, at the time, there were absolutely no scenario games in Russia. The first one was in 1997, in S.Peterburg. Then we realized we could do something better, and in the following year, 1998, we started our Big Paintball Maneuvers.The first game, «Southern Front», had only 128 players and was devoted to one of the main battles of the Russian Civil war. Since that day, BPM started to grow until it reached 3000 players and are now only limited by the venue and infrastructure.

GRIP: How much time and how many people does it take to prepare and launch the event?NS: Normally, we start with three or four people who write the scenario, decide on the main things, and sign the contracts, among other things.On the day, we have ten game technics, 80 to 90 marshals, 20 tech and store people, some 30 to 40 for catering plus around 50 personal on cleaning, moving, etc. Around

20 in the security shifts. Plus police patrol on the event’s day.So 230 would be a good estimate.

GRIP: Can you name the best five features you supply to the paintball player in your event?NS: Free meal, free tea and water all day long. Storage rooms for personal belongings and equipment. Souvenirs. The tanks are a state of the art thing and the Pyro-show.

GRIP: Your event is well known by the wide employment of pyrotechnics. Why do you use it so much in your games?

NS: Hmmm... Why not? First, Russian laws and regulations are pretty liberal in relation to pyrotechnics, so we can use a variety of grenades and mortar shots, among other things. Second, one of our good friends is a well-known movie’s special effects maker so it would be a waste not to use his experience.

Nick Sobolev

«2014 will be the Great War 100th year anniversary, so...»

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GRIP: Tell us more about the use of the tanks, how do they take active part in the game?NS: They don’t! (smiles) Tankers and gunners are a separate cast and as soon as they see another tank in the peephole, they forget everything and start fighting each other, no matter what their assignment was. However, that makes the game intense and spectacular.

GRIP: How many different nationalities of registered players or teams did you have?NS: This year we had Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia, Germany and Portugal. In Previous years we have hosted the USA, France, Poland, Latvia, England, Lithuania,

Finland and many others.

GRIP: Three questions at a time. The 2013 big game theme was Treasure Island. Who was leading each team? How was the command structure? Did you have generals?NS: This year, admirals. We had each side divided into five «ship crews» led by «captains». Plus we made «officer patches» from side commander to group leader, which helped new players not to be lost on the field.

GRIP: What can the players expect for 2014?NS: 2014 will be the Great War 100th year anniversary, so... •

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The long-awaited marker of the year has arrived in our offices. We can tell you nobody left without an opinion on it. The device looks great, and it works great too. Text: Duarte Gomes Photos: RR

VanquishWe have been hearing about Empire’s

new marker for a long time. Many speculated where in the paintball market would the marker be found, and it appeared in a market segment where Empire wasn’t expected to compete in. We are talking about the high-end market, the top of the top.

Vanquish has some details similar to its younger sister, the Axe. The lack of a macroline, the fact that the regulator is at the bottom with an on/off and the way to remove the bolt remain the same, in terms of function. With the rest, the only similarity is the brand, nothing else.

Aesthetically it is very appeasing, although it has been agreed in our office that the back of the bolt looks strange in the marker as a whole. But you can’t argue

with preferences. The marker itself uses spool valve

technology, delivering the soft and accurate shot expected from a high-end marker.

Technically nothing in the marker is new. The bolt system is used in other markers and it allows for great performance. This type of bolt is famous for its easy maintenance, as its assembly uses a tool-less system which makes manual disassembly a simple task; there is also a reduced number of o-rings compared to other bolt systems. There is a small rubber part on the tip of the bolt, to soften the impact on the paintball and a spring to reduce bolt stick.

We cannot emphasise enough how the spool valve system is identical to other paintball markers in the same market system. Yet this marker, due to its design,

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Vanquishis a high performance product, ready to compete with its rivals.

The board in the marker is truly incredible. It has an LCD filled with information, which at the beginning proves to be confusing. After we got used to it and we must admit there is no useless information presented on it, as even the marker’s operating pressure is shown.

The way in which the marker is opened for maintenance is clever, to say the least. You loosen a screw at the front and then you remove the bolt, making the paintball gun open like a fan. It’s easy to open, but you have to be careful when you close it,

as some wires can get trapped if you’re not careful enough.

Regarding eye maintenance, there’s not much to be said, it’s done in the traditional manner.

The marker comes with various extras. The most noticeable one is the barrel,

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which has some inserts. A bag to store all the material is also available, an o-ring kit, spare parts and allen and screw keys for the marker. The cherry on top of the cake is the Vanquish keychain that comes with a bottle opener, a very much needed object in a paintballer’s life. All this is available in an appealing metal box.

It’s a shame that they didn’t come up with something truly innovative. Nothing that was shown was new or out of this world. However this product was definitely well thought about, before being produced, attempting and succeeding in making it as functional and as practical for a player as

possible. We are talking about a product that is

definitely high end and although it isn’t innovating it looks and plays great. All the ones available on stores are immediately sold, which means that Empire has already made a name for itself in that market segment. •

PROS· Construction quality

· Accessories

· Smoothness

· Aesthetics

CONS· Aesthetics (back of the bolt)

· Price

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Features:

new Delrin 2013 Solenoid

new 2013 Valve

new Tool Set Vanadium Coated Steel

new Clone GTi OLeD Board

new Soft Touch wrap Around Grip

2013 clone gtithe new

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Knee and elbow pads are the most discreet paintball equipment. Until the folks at HK army decided to make some.Text: Duarte Gomes Photos: HK Army

Hardline Pads

The HK Army history is short, but their festive and radical style doesn’t leave anyone indifferent. It started by being a team – Hostile Kids – and they launched the brand in the market by selling sandanas, a basic accessory that had huge success. Even though many brands have this kind of protection, none has publicized it as HK Army has, by personalizing and giving life to a simple strip of fabric with interior padding.

After the renovation, the brand became a huge success monster, largely supported by their brilliant videos. In the last season, the brand decided that the rest of the accessories deserved an update and they launched snickers, clothes and many other accessories.

GRIP was always curious to test out some of this material. After all, one thing is to have style and make sandanas, another is to

design material that has to have minimum quality to grant the players’ security. That being said, we took the protections designed for 2013, namely the knee and elbow pads.

We don’t need to grab them to see it’s a typical HK product, the design stands out leaving the vainest eye sparkling. This kind of material usually has a dark and matte look, though here it’s the opposite, with blue effects that caught our attention, not forgetting the fastening strips or even the several designs found. Without a doubt, they’re the coolest knee and elbow pads out there.

As it’s typical in a brand like HK Army, they are modern and functional. The material used is of extreme quality; the main material is polyester, with a good protective layer, which can even be too much for the hottest days. But the comfort is fantastic, fluffy and

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it fits like a glove. It allows for the elbowpad to stand still on the arm, however it can be better adjusted with fastening strips.

The foams are made of EVA, a substance used quite a lot in the paintball industry. It is the most resistant to wearing out and, at the same time, it offers a bigger protection when sliding or with bigger impacts on the ground. The elbow area is really well built, which allows for a safer usage during the game, protecting the most important thing: our body.

It has a glove tied to the elbow pad, but it’s weak for those who don’t wear gloves..

The knee pads are made out of the same material, but they must have been designed by a scientist, because I think no detail was left behind and they drew the perfect knee pads. They’re articulated, they have folds and cut outs almost everywhere, making them more anatomical and increasing the

movement capacity while keeping the protection.

The only «but» is that the fastening strips are closed at the back of the leg, which in some situations may create some discomfort because of the friction on a squatted position, due to the contact of the Velcro with the legs.

In both the knee and the elbow pads the model was altered. The first version of both of them had a really hard padding that made some balls burst during impact. This newer version is much softer, avoiding unwanted eliminations.

They promised to be a sales success and it seems that HK Army ara taking it very seriously.. Comparing with the identical material in the market, it remains the idea of a significant evolution, may this be the start of a revolution in this kind of equipment. •

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Every year, the end of the season is known for the announcements on novelties regarding markers, goggles, loaders, among others. The whole paintball community eagerly waits for the end of the season for the new items to pop up.

But the year of 2012 was definitely highlighted by the introduction of a new piece of equipment which measured feet per second (FPS) and balls per second (BPS), something that hadn’t occurred in a while.

Naturally, we’re talking about the Virtue

Clock.In the last few years, the measuring

equipment that arose has allowed for the measurement of FPB and BPS though the same equipment; however, it was only possible to visualize one of the values at a time. With the Virtue Clock, that’s no longer an issue. In the radar display, it’s possible to see, at the same time, the FPS value of the last shot, the highest value of BPS, the variation of FPS, the number of shots and the FPS average. If this information

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We finally laid hands on one of the most stylish chronographers of our sport.

Is it as good as it appears to be?Text: Domingos Leitão Photos: Virtue Paintball

Virtue Clock

PAINTBALL CHRONOGRAPH

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wasn’t enough, they still included a time meter with a countdown. The Virtue Clock memorizes the last ten shots, making it possible to understand the consistency of the shots from the marker, regarding the speed.

With two buttons, the «trigger» and a smaller one on the opposite side, it’s possible to run all the configurations, which include personalizing the radar’s name, establishing FPS and BPS limit values, defining game time and time to shut

down automatically, among many other features. These configurations make it easy to establish the limit values for every tournament, considering that there are variations on tournaments on a worldwide level. The clock also indicates the values on display, making a sound when those same values are surpassed.

All of this is possible by adjusting the component inside a very ergonomic and intuitive to use format, similar to a marker without a barrel. The box is made out of

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rigid plastic that grants resistance to falls or shots. It also has two compartments: one to hold on the allen keys and another to insert the batteries. To insert the batteries there’s no need for a screwdriver, because a fast and efficient spring clip system is used. The device works with a 9V battery or four of 1,5V.

The Virtue Clock is equally versatile; it can be used on a mobile way or fixed on a tripod, where it fits well due to a groove originally placed.

But the best of the surprises is yet to come. The Virtue Clock comes prepared to

work with Radio Frequency technology. On a near future, it may allow players to register all the values on software, monitoring the speed and shooting rate in top notch tournaments in a more rigid way.

We tried to look for flaws, but to be honest, we couldn’t find anything worth registering.

The price is slightly high when compared to the other measurement equipment existent in the market, but the features that Virtual Clock shows and that are still to be updated largely justify the investment.•

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We can start by saying the design and functioning of the LV1 are identical to the previous EGO. When we opened up the box and looked at its design, we immediately noticed it’s an EGO, even though at an aesthetical level there are some import modifications.

The true surprise starts when we read the manual. We opened up the manual and figured out that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

The design is identical to what we’re used to in the previous models, with the elegance that Planet Eclipse has accustomed us with.

The functioning didn’t change, it remains the same.

But each issue on its turn; the traditional macroline was substituted by something called Air Pipe. Eclipse doesn’t believe in the external removal of the air passage to make the leakage detection easier, so they developed a more elegant solution. Technically and mechanically we can say it’s fantastic, because the Air Pipe is easier to remove and to repair in case of leakage.

The other novelty is the removal of the LPR cap. The LPR was re-designed taking into account the design and mechanics of the SL3

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EGO

LV1The one which was already a classic has now a new

version. We’re talking about the new EGO LV1. We tested it out and we will show you what’s new.

Text: Duarte Gomes Photos: Planet Eclipse

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regulator and it was placed inside the body. A rubber cape was also placed, in order to enhance the comfort and it improves the holding of the marker. The tuning is made in the same way, with a wrench placed in front of the body through the rubber cape. These mechanical modifications allow the LPR to have more flow and consistency in low pressures. This happens because the LV1, after all the modifications, now works with lower pressure.

All the mechanisms suffered an evolution, from the exhaust valve, to the bolt, rammer, HPR and LPR.

The exhaust valve is the most important mechanism of the marker, because the more you force it to open, the more kick the marker has. This is due to the necessary force to push the rammer and open the exhaust valve. Eclipse comes up with a common mechanism named Lever Valve, a revolutionary system, because even though the valve is opened by the rammer, the process is done by one piece that functions like a lever. By the laws of physics, the necessary force to trigger the mechanism is minor. So the exhaust valve is smaller and easier to be disassembled.

The rammer is a Zick 3. The marker brings two versions, the normal one is used to soften the marker’s functioning and it is already installed. A second version can be used for those who choose smaller air expenditure that will result in a bigger kick. The rammer is able to improve the kick because it creates air pillows, at the end of each round. When the rammer moves forward to open up the valve, at the end of the round, it’s created an air

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pillow to soften the contact, which improves the kick. This air pillow helps the softness; however there are some o-rings to serve as buffers. The process is identical when the rammer steps back.

The other novelty is the Cure Bolt 5, the last update available, with the tip of the bolt made of rubber, in order to soften the contact with the ball and reduce the probability of it breaking. The body comes with the o-rings, to reduce the contact of the bolt with the body avoiding rougher attrition and friction. It also serves to guide the air that goes out of the shooting chamber to the interior of the bolt, causing a greater

efficiency of the air that’s shot.The regulator is identical to the one of the

previous models. The only alteration made was the swivel because of the AirPipe; all the rest is the same as what we’re used to.

Eclipse also launched two accessories that could help many players. One is a rail to allow increasing the distance between the marker and the player; there’s also an on/off kit and a swivel to allow maintenance without the assembled frame.

LV1 is an EGO just like any other. For those who have had one, they certainly won’t have any problem dealing with the LV1. Even considering the new mechanic alterations, it won’t take long to understand the differences, nor does it take too much time to understand the necessary maintenance.

While the differences between markers were the dilemma in the moment of choice, today with the LV1 we have the best of both worlds: a soft marker, precise and of low consumption, making the technical standard for the competitors to rise, and an ideal marker for any kind of player.

Without any doubt a great marker, which every year has been improving to the tiniest detail. •

PROS· Easy to use

· New technology

· Softness

· No Noise

· Comfort

· Technical Support

CONS· Price

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PEDRO BATISTAHead-Marshal Div.1 and 2

1 - They tell me I’m the field marshal of Division 1 and 2.

2 - There are so many stories that I could even write a book on them, but I can highlight the most recent one. After finishing the chrony check, one player turns his gun to

1 – What is your role in the Portuguese national championship?

2 - What is the most ridiculous story you have?

3 - What are the real difficulties in your job?

backstageIn the European City of Sports 2013, the place where all the sports gathered, we wanted to meet the ones in charge for this event.

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the side and shoots his teammates’ hand. After the usual amount of insults thrown at each other, it was funny to see him shaking his sore hand in the ten seconds.

3 - Anticipating the problems that might occur to avoid controversial situations. Managing and deciding the way the sport’s veracity can be kept.

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LILIANA RODRIGUESScore Keeper

1 – My job consists of registering all the information about the game on the match sheet. I get all this information from the field marshal at the end of each point. I also inform the teams of the amount of time left on the clock and of any existing timeouts, as teams must talk to me to request any timeout or to concede any points.

2 – In ten years of paintball I have seen a lot of ridiculous situations… but in this job the most ridiculous one was seeing players eliminating their own teammates when there were no other opposing players on the field. Another curious situation was when a player took off at the beginning of the match, dropped his harness and played the whole game with one hand holding it.

3 – The biggest difficulty is the concentration needed in the game, as well as the need to stop the clock at any second of the game. Sometimes it’s difficult to withdraw myself from exterior distractions.

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JOÃO RAMOSHead-Marshal Div 3

1 – I just came to see the paintballs (laughs). I have the position of Technical Council member and, at the same time, I’m head marshal, meaning I accompany Pedro Batista in his functions. Does it look complicated? I know... even for me it’s complicated sometimes. Also, with the other Portuguese Eurorefs, we train referees to be able to ref any type of event, so that one doesn’t have to rely on teams of players to do that function.

2 - The most ridiculous situation was at Malaga, where a coach told his last player alive, who was playing back centre, to do a dead man walking; the player puts his hand on his head and simply leaves. Both of us started crying from laughing so hard.

3 - I apologise before starting, but the biggest difficulty is making Portuguese paintballers understand that they have the best playing conditions in the world, whether we´re talking about the field’s quality, infrastructures or climate. It’s hard to see people always complaining about the event’s organisation when there’s a little bit of rain or wind. The biggest difficulty lies in the Portuguese player’s laziness and in their inability to follow rules.

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THANKS

Guilherme PiresJoão Ramos

Pedro BatistaRicardo Catarino

Rui Pereira

Thank you!

/GripPaintball

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